1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to waste management and debris removal, and more particularly to removal and disposal of waste concrete (slag) and concrete washout residues.
2. Description of Related Art
Concrete is used extensively in the construction industry and is typically carried to job sites in transit mixer trucks, or on site mixers, and may be moved at a work site to a point-of-use by concrete pump trucks. When pumping or pouring is complete, a small amount of concrete may remain in the truck, while concrete residues remain on portions of both vehicle mounted and manually operated equipment. Failure to quickly remove the concrete residues allows the concrete to harden thereby complicating the cleanup process and in some cases damaging the equipment. The mixer and pump portions of the truck along with concrete finishing tools must be washed off at the job site after pouring or pumping concrete to allow continued use of the equipment.
At present, concrete residue removal and cleanup is typically accomplished at a temporary disposal location, generally comprising a pit dug in the ground which may in some cases be covered with plastic sheet and surrounded by hay bails. On a concrete pump truck, a plug is removed from the bottom of the concrete pump which allows waste concrete to drain into the disposal pit. The concrete carrier portions are then washed, such as with a hose, to remove concrete residues. A similar operation is performed for transit mixer trucks, and other equipment for handling concrete.
Concrete itself, once hardened, is inert and harmless to the environment. However, the water used to cure concrete, or to clean equipment used to deliver and place concrete, can raise the pH level of surrounding waters and increase the heavy metal content, either of which can in some cases harm living organisms. Therefore, primarily due to environmental concerns and requirements, the concrete is commonly drained into a pit covered with a waterproof sheet, such as a plastic sheet. When the waste concrete materials harden, they are typically removed from the pit and transported to a permanent disposal site. The difficulty with such an approach is that it requires digging a pit, lining the pit, waiting for the waste concrete material to dry, and loading and transporting the dry waste concrete material to another site. In some cases a number of pits need to be dug, during a construction project increasing the impact to the environment. Furthermore, spills can occur while dumping the wet concrete into the pit and washing out the residues, while the sheet material is subject to punctures and tearing, any of which can impact the environment. Consequently, the washing out of concrete equipment must be performed with careful regard for containing runoff from construction sites.
As populations have grown and construction has crowded into new areas, building sites are increasingly being considered as possible threats to the environment. Environmental awareness is increasing and construction sites in many areas are required to follow “Best Management Practices” (BMPs) with regard to waste disposal practices, such as adhering to “Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans” (SWPPP).
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus for facilitating concrete disposal that allows convenient emptying and cleaning of waste concrete from concrete mixing, hauling, and/or concrete application equipment without subjecting the environment to contamination hazards. The present invention satisfies those needs, as well as others, and overcomes the deficiencies of previously developed concrete disposal solutions.